Pros

• Flexible Schedule – Do assignments and read lectures, books, websites, etc whenever and wherever you want
• Learn Anywhere – Wherever there is an internet connection, you can be in class.
• Few “tests” – Most grades are based on projects that help show individual talent and understanding rather than simple memorization.
• Convenience & Flexibility – It’s good for those that prefer to work independently, but it does require a bit of discipline.
• Convenience – Don’t have to worry about weather issues (like snow).
• Anonymity – Because this is somewhat anonymous, people may participate more than they probably would in a traditional classroom setting where they would shy away from discussions.
• Dealing with professionals in my line of work – Most everyone is already in the creative field in one way or another, so we can relate.

Cons

• Cost – Currently about $70k for a bachelor degree)
• Many classes are dated – Quite a bit of interactive media assignments aren’t currently being used in the real world. I don’t care what the facilitators try to tell you, Authorware is dead…let it go.
• Lack of Social Aspect – There is no face-to-face interaction that students of ground schools get to experience. Network and socializing is somewhat more difficult and less effective
• Lack of Traditional Benefits – Due to it’s nature there are no benefits like you would find at a traditional campus, such as student gyms, doctors, social programs, stocked library, ect.
• Lack of Advice – The school only provides a minimum amount of guidance when pursuing financial aid and career guidance.
• Class Lecture Material/Textbook Choices – Most times, the information is so old in the lectures and even more often than that, the information included is not in depth enough. Quite often, the textbooks are less than helpful as well. There are many students that do not even buy textbooks…ever…and still make straight A’s.
• Anonymity – Yes, this is both a pro and a con. Sometimes it’s hard to be so alone…it’s not just being alone as far as classes go. It is being anonymous when it comes to administration, too. Academic advisers would seem to be more apt to help out if we were right in front of them.
• Waiting Period – Sometimes it makes things difficult when you have questions for an instructor and you have to wait for a response through e-mail or in the discussions….sometimes takes days. On rare occasions, the facilitator may not even respond, which negatively impacts assignments.
• Facilitators – They should still be teachers. Just because we are online and this is self-based learning, does that mean that they should simply give grades and feedback. We want the wisdom of their experience. There are some good ones out there, those that go above and beyond to do whatever they can to make the learning experience a positive one. Far too often, though, the bad ones outweigh the good ones…and a bad facilitator makes it a painful experience when you feel like you’re wasting 5 1/2 weeks and $1300+ dollars!
• Pre-structured Classes – The teachers basically have little or no input into what material we cover and how we cover it since it is all laid out in advance. Many facilitators blame the material rather than fixing it as they go. Then again, some facilitators step up and fix the mistakes, errors, and outdated material.
• State grants (outside of PA) will not be accepted at The Art Institute Online since AIO is a division of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. If you receive a state grant outside of PA…well…you’re out of luck.
• No connection with most of the classmates! I mean yeah, we have bios on the first day of class but other than that, the postings are just blah and it’s easy to disconnect with people. It would be nice if we had a section in each class for more personal topics if someone wants to post whats new with them, life, pictures, to share what they did over the weekend, whatever. There is a student lounge for such posts, but the “new” classroom format makes it easy for cobwebs to form in that section of the forums.
• Session 2 of every quarter - The Art Institute Online arguably has the most screwed up schedule for “semesters”. There are two sessions in a quarter. Each session is 5 1/2 weeks long. The first session runs basically from Monday-Sunday (yes…you can be in class any day of the week, but the first 5 are typically the busiest). The second session though runs Thursday-Wednesday which means you do the bulk of assignments on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! It makes it incredibly difficult to get into any sort of schedule with work and life as you are forced to move everything around the changing school schedule. It flat out sucks.

Summary

So there you have it…a rather extensive, honest list from actual students of the pros and cons of The Art Institute Online. Hopefully this will give people interested in attending AIO an inside scoop on what might be expected. I hope it also serves as a list of issues for The Art Institute that the students are most concerned about. A few of the cons are minor issues that could easily be resolved within the administration, which would make an immediate impact. The #1 pro was “convenience” as students like the ability to attend class wherever and whenever. I, personally, had an extremely hard time justifying the cost of the online version needing to be $100 more per class than the on-ground version at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and I have never received a straight-up and honest answer for the cost. I’ve been led to believe (based on my experience as well as others) they can charge whatever they feel like since they are are private institute and operate it as more of a business than an educational institution…students just have to deal with it. Students simply do not get all of the advantages as campus students with computers, labs, software, library, face-to-face & immediate feedback, etc. Online learning may be the wave of the future, but the Art Institute is wading about ankle deep and not fully utilizing nor teaching many of the latest technology (as far as “Interactive Media Design” goes)…it’s still a rather rough and turbulent ride as they work out the kinks. If you can attend an on-ground campus, then I strongly suggest doing so. If your schedule prohibits that, then The Art Institute Online can still offer an opportunity to hang a degree on your wall.

Be sure to also read the numerous comments below posted by actual students as well as people who went through the application process for The Art Institute Online. You’ll find many reviews for the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division below.

Finally, here are a few other sources of student reviews of The Art Institute Online:
studentsreviews.com
associatedcontent.com
getdregrees.com
onlinedegreereviews.org

Do you have something you’d like to share about The Art Institute Online? Please do so in the comment section below!

Assignment Planner is an application which allows you to keep track of homework assignments for a number of different courses. It includes features that allow you to display only those assignments that are yet to be completed, add information to all your assignments, courses and textbooks for reference, filter assignments by their type, color code assignments by a number of different criteria, and much more. you can also export your assignments to a text file or to iCal, to easily view your assignments from your iPod.

Swing on over to http://assignmentplanner.burgundylogan.com and check out a nice way to keep track of your assignments in classes.

Week 1

• The Epic of Gilgamesh
• Genesis 1-9
• The Odyssey
• Oedipus the King

Week 2

• Augustine, Confessions
• Dante Alighieri – Dante’s Inferno (all Cantos)
• Chaucer, “General Prologue”

Week 3

• Machiavelli, The Prince
• Shakespeare, Hamlet

Week 4

• Swift, Modest Proposal

Week 5

• Blake, Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience
• Whitman, Song of Myself
• Tolstoy, Death of Ivan Ilyich
• Chekhov, Cherry Orchard
• Brecht, Mother Courage and Her Children
• Achebe, Things Fall Apart

Week 6

• Brecht, Mother Courage and Her Children
• Achebe, Things Fall Apart

Don’t limit yourself to World Literature as SparkNotes can be used for any class or assignment that requires reading a popular literary work. SparkNotes is a lifesaver for those assignment that you just don’t want to read have time to read completely!

Hello all, my name is Danielle Bergum and I am a senior Interior Design student here at The Art Institute Online. I am the secretary of the Student Government Association, an Interior Design & AutoCAD tutor, and a student member of ASID.
With my experience at The Art Institute Online, I wanted to pass along some knowledge that may help each and every one of you on your education journey!

• 1. Employee and Student? Many of you, I am sure, are not only half or full-time students, but also have kids, and a career or job as well. One of the biggest mistakes is thinking that The Art Institute Online is unlike an onground school in that they will work around your life! This is NOT TRUE! Distance learning is excellent! AiO gives students a huge amount of privacy and freedom, but they are still a higher education institute and must maintain professionalism to allow their courses to be accredited. With that said, don’t take more courses than you can handle. If you have a busy life – you still need to understand that your assignments are due on the due date, and you should plan your schedule accordingly! Microsoft Office is an excellent program to schedule your daily agenda and keep on track!

  Trust me, I know from experience that school and work can be stressful and take up the majority of your time. I work 40+ hrs a week, I take 17hrs per quarter at The Art Institute Online, I am a tutor, I am a member of 2 school organizations which meet every 2 weeks for 1-2 hour meetings, I teach 3 online classes, and I still have time (very little) to spend with my husband, friends, and family. I have also been lucky enough to maintain a 4.0 cumulative GPA thus far. I am a very organized person, and I know what my priorities are. Don’t take distance learning for granted!

• 2. Before enrolling in anything – take a look at not only your intended major, but your location as well. It is very very possible that you may have to move to get even a chance at the job that you want. I live in a very small town – we probably only have 2 certified Interior Designers – not to mention, most people around here don’t even know what an Interior Designer is – they actually think I am wasting $70,000 to paint walls!!! And, if you want to know just how small it is – my high school graduating class had 100 people in it. I know that The Art Institute Online’s career services can’t help me much here. Don’t think that just because AiO has career services, that they will be able to get you a job exactly where you want. Don’t expect to graduate from AiO and start out making $100,000+. You have to work hard, career services are a guide – they are not a job finder. Make sure that you understand the sacrifices that are going into your career to get you where you want to be! And remember, you can do more for yourself than anyone in this world! Be assertive (in a confident and professional way) and be the best at what you do. Also – make plans to attend the Art Institute portfolio reviews. I have heard of many people who get job offers through the senior portfolio reviews! Talk to your academic advisor, program director, or even someone in Admin about participating in a portfolio review!
• 3. One of the main reasons students get poor grades is they do not turn their assignments in on time. This is a huge point reduction – as The Art Institute Online policy states NO LATEWORK. However, some (few) instructors do accept late work with sometimes a 50% point reduction. Think about this – if you had a project with a deadline, the client was paying you an ample amount of money, and you were late – even a day late – you could lose that client and the whole project. That is HORRIBLE advertisement and horrible for your business! Now, at AiO you are definitely paying a good amount for these courses, but, you know the policies when you enroll – and therefore, why would you waste your money? Work hard, turn your assignments in on time! Many times, your effort is better than your work. Instructors see potential. Even if your assignment isn’t finished – often, it is better to turn it in than not at all! You can at least get feedback from peers and instructors to further your education!
• 4. Critiques are vital to your education! Learn how to give constructive criticism. Don’t be afraid to tell your peers this is wrong, this is wrong, this could be better… and here is why!!!! And, definitely give them points like this is great, this looks good, wow this is awesome… and here is why!!!! Always give good and improvement comments and explain your reasoning. Use the 2×2 rule – 2 comments on what needs imporoved, and 2 comments on what is great. And, yes, everything can be improved – I don’t care how great your work seems, there can always be something to improve! You should always try to exceed no matter where you think you stand. You will learn from this, the students will learn from this, and your participation points will rise. Your critiques can be more valuable than the lectures & reading assignments from the text!
• 5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!!! If you have a question, ask it! If you have 20 questions, ask them! Your instructors can’t see your expressions, they can’t see your frustration – so they don’t know if you need help. The instructors are there to guide you – so give them a reason to guide! Let them know if you have a concern, but always do it in a professional way. You will get a more thorough response from well-developed questions than whinning and complaining! If you need further assistance – as your instructor, academic advisor, and/or program director if there is a tutor available for your program – they may be your new best friend!
• 6. You have a say in your education people!! You can not only pick and choose your schedule (taking into consideration that some courses are only taught at certain times) but you can also have a say in your instructor. There are multiple instructors that teach these courses, so ask your academic advisor or program director what your options are for each course. Review your course catalog! Pick the electives that you want to take and communicate with your academic advisor. If you have trouble with your academic advisor, communicate with your program directors! Your academic advisor will send you an e-mail each quarter with your student schedule. You have the option to accept or decline. If you do not like the schedule that your academic advisor has given you LET THEM KNOW! Press the “I do not accept” link and suggest changes to the schedule!!!!!
• 7. There are 11 week courses available! Not all courses at The Art Institute Online are 5.5 weeks. There are many courses, and more developing courses, that are 11 weeks. If you feel that you would like more time to concentrate in a course ask your academic advisor if there is an 11 week option! This could save you a ton of headaches in the end! It allows more time to work on assignments, more time to ask questions, and a chance for a better grade!! Don’t be afraid to ask for these things!
• 8. Keep healthy while taking online classes! Print your lectures! With an online course, the computer and desk can put a lot of strain on your body! Print your lectures and take them to a park, sit in a new chair, or read them on your work breaks. This allows your eyes to rest from the glare of your computer, and allows you to get up and stretch a bit. Don’t become a part of your workstation – your back will hurt, your eyes will hurt, and you will just feel drained. If you have a large project and are on the computer for hours – remember to stretch every little bit. Sometimes you will work so much that you don’t get a chance for a food break – don’t forget to eat! Always keep a bottle of water next to your workstation. Take a sip every few minutes and avoid dehydration and remember to take a snack break! Use a comfortable desk chair and good lighting.
• 9. Don’t forget to interact with your Student Government! The The Art Institute Online Student Government Association is always looking for helpful solutions to student concerns. You can view their website through the Campus Common, or interact in the forums through either here at AiOstudents.com, or through the Talk On! Student Groups section.

• Hot Deals: Any deal that students come across that may benefit other students will be posted within this category. You might find deals on computers, software, books, microwave meals, or anything else a student needs. Check this page often as deals will likely pop up daily.
• Comments: Being a student-driven community, we feed off of each other’s input. This is your chance to not only receive a lot of helpful information, but to also offer it as well. If you read an article that you have experience in or would even like to know more about, post a comment at the bottom of the article and the author or another student will be able to easily respond. We’re all in this together!
• Author Profiles: Each author here at The Art Institute Online Student Community has a personal profile and a link to their personal website. If you ever want to know more about an author, just check out the bottom of their article for their bio and link!
• Flash Video Training: What’s that? You’d like to know how to do a certain technique in Photoshop and don’t feel like reading through tutorials and websites? We will be making flash videos available to help you out and to show some of the latest techniques in our chosen fields.
• Tidbits: On the side of the home page you will see a section called “Tidbits”. This is where some very useful information will be posted that doesn’t need as much room as normal articles. Already posted in the Tidbits section are links to sites that offer free fonts and free stock photography. These two links should be in any designer’s bookmarks! Stay tuned for more Tidbits!

All of this just gets us started here at The Art Institute Online Student Community. This is a bit of an evolution from the forum here that was created on January 21, 2004. Now the students not only have a place to chat, but a place to read and write industry & school-related articles that will benefit the entire student body. You’re not alone as you earn your degree at The Art Institute Online…the rest of us are here to make your life not only easier…but better. Let other students know about this site by posting in your classroom discussions as well. The more students we have contributing, the better our experience here at The Art Institute Online will be! Welcome to the club!

A tag cloud is basically a list of “categories” and the more links that a tag has, the bigger it will appear.  This makes it incredibly easy to find popular tags.  Clicking on Art Institutes International will send you to a page that has thumbnails of every single portfolio…a great feature for scanning through them quickly as you can see here:

So if you’re looking to design a portfolio and need some ideas or simply want to see what other students have done, head on over to Core77 and check it out!  Also, if you know of some other great collections of portfolios, share it by posting a comment below!